Cassis
Although there are many regions or cities in France that are synonomous with the product that they exports, such as Calvados, Champagne or Brie de Meaux, Cassis the city is not the home of cassis the liqueur, which famously tints the classy cocktails kir and kir royale to their pink hue. The city does, however, lend its name to other exports, such as its wine and its famous stone. Furthermore, Cassis' celebrity is not contained to its exports, but expands to its stunning topography.
Cassis Exports
The wine of Cassis was one of the first in all of France to be honored with the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC, label of controlled origin) introduced in 1936, a label that all French vineyards strive for even today. Wine from Cassis is either red or white and can be purchased worldwide. While this revered wine is famous in France, it is not the only export of the city. Cassis also produces dried cod holdover from its former glory as a fisherman's paradise and one of the most important fishing towns in the area. Dried salt cod is a staple food in many countries in Southern Europe including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In addition, Cassis is famous for its olive oil, coral work and stone: the Stone of Cassis - cement and limestone - is famous in France and has been used for the bases of many Mediterranean ports as well as for the base of the Statue of Liberty, the famous gift to the United States from France that now sits in New York Harbor.
Cliffs and Calanques
Cassis is a lovely place to visit if only to see the origins of some of these famous products: the vineyards and stone quarries are impressive and worth a look. However, one of the most beautiful things to see in Cassis cannot be exported anywhere: its topography. Cliffs (falaises) and calanques (the French word for the sheltered inlet typical of the area) take up a large part of the Mediterranean shore of Cassis. These cliffs make for a beautiful drive towards the major city of Marseille, just a few kilometers to the east, or to the famous Cap Canaille, where one of the highest maritime bluffs in Europe still stands, towering over the shoreline of the Mediterranean sea.
